im gonna go crzy if i don't fix this

[difallstar]

Allright here's the deal. I am a 5'5 freshman, i weigh 135, i am jumping on a 12'6 140 or 150(matters how i feel) from 3 lefts. I am clearing like 10'6 holding from 10'9 , but i have the biggest block out. I plant well, but then i don't bring my arm in so i cant pull at all. anyone have suggestions on what to do, because i wanna break my school record 13'. Also, how much do u think i could improve if i stop blocking out? thanx.

[Flying D]

Is your handgrip too wide? I had the same problem for a while, it was because my hand grip was too wide for my arm to come in, so i would just block like hell with my bottom hand. If you try to make your handgrip a little closer to shoulder width apart, and maybe move back another step or 2 to get more speed, that might solve the problem.

Hopefully other guys can help comment on this topic, but thats just waht i'm thinking is the problem.

[difallstar]

nah my hand grip is sholder width. my coach who is great wont let me move my step back until i fix this. we have enough of a pole selection to run from three and i get into the pit fine and bend the pole, i just cant do it but thanx.

[dj]

if you don't start jumping from a longer run you will never catch up with the physics of the event...

you can't create enough 'force" to move the pole to vertical without over doing the left arm..

until you create "force' from a faster/longer run it will be very very difficult to change your current technique..

i continue to hear technical issues, poor technique, brought up on PVP that are directly related to vaulting from a short run..

why can't the coaches and vaulters look at the physics and logic of the event and understand that????

you can hang a ball from a stick.... hold that stick at a 45 degree angle to a wall... move the stick to the wall "vertical" at a medium speed..

see how high the ball will "swing"

then move the stick from the same position at full speed... how high will the ball go at the faster speed? higher???

i think so...

if you run faster you want have to "press" the left arm to get the pole to vertical and you will swing faster... and higher.....

dj

[Bruce Caldwell]

DJ says it right and I am saying it another way
You may need a strong arm at that distance becasue you do not have enough power to transfer energy from the run to the pole.
Once you get a few more lefts you will go from LINE BACKER to POLE VAULTER and the speed will generate more energy to bend the pole and you will not need to force the bottom arm to bend the pole.

Bruce

[dj]

thanks bruce..

what i was trying to say......

if you run faster and plant/takeoff correctly you should have
more swing speed from the longer run.. which should mean more pole speed..

bubka's jump at 20' only took 1.45 sec from "touch off" to maximum height..

which means he covered a large swing arc in a very short time.. which means

he "swung" himself above his grip much like a gaint swing...

your jumps take as much time.. but have a smaller swing arc.. less "energy" so you don't "fly" above the grip..

and if you "stiff arm" block... you have less swing speed

make sense??

i have had vaulters come to me.. doing the same as you.. jumping 10'..

i had to move their run back and coach.. what i would term "push" "pull'

after you plant and "push" try to drive your right knee to your top hand...

and.. as you rotate back.. bring the back of your left hand toward your chin/chest..

we practice that on a stiff pole.. pop up.. and call it a "superman"

it's an invert drill that most vaulters practice..

but to get the best result you need to run from a longer run..

my 10 footers jumped 12 and 12-6 in 5 weeks.. one running from 7 lefts one from 8..

dj

[difallstar]

are u saying that i should pull my left arm into my body with force. i thought u were supposed to relax it and the pole will come to u?

[bblinkwme182b]

hey im 5'6" 140 too and i know how you feeling... the way i corrected myself was to just jump up more at the end of my run... i also agree with everyone above in that you probably need to increase your run but exploding up at the end with help you not have to block your bottom arm out but rather push it up and the whole vault will come together... post back and tell us all how your doing.

[ifavault]

Steal the high jump pits from the high jumpers and put them on the back end of the pole vault pit...then vault for distance. Try and land with your feet and legs on the high jump pits with your body coming right off the end of the pole (work on keeping your feet and legs pointed straight to the back of the pit)...you must tuck your elbow in and learn to lean back and get tight to the pole in order to get that far back into the pit and stay straight. It's much easier to unblock when traveling more horizontally like this. You may need to get a little more speed (like the others are saying) to get the distance, but this drill translates well to learning to unblock the bottom arm during a real vault whn going vertical. It's essentially a glorified "training pole" drill, but there aren't too many training poles around anymore. Good luck.

[Carolina21]

A very simple way to achieve a open take off mechanically is to point your elbows out at take off. When you see a gymnast on the rings preparing for a huge swing do you see their elbows pointing infront of them and the rings pointing straight forward? Never. Most people who block, point their lead elbow forward at take off which closes off your front shoulder. When a gymnast swings on the rings the same is true their rings point out which allows for an open shoulder and free swing. Square your shoulders up and make sure your front elbow is pointing out when you plant so that your shoulder is open and will allow you to swing. Get on some rings and see how well you can swing with your elbows pointing forward and the rings pointed foward its really hard. Then try with your elbows out and the rings out, you can really generate some power. So back your run up and get the front arm open.

[rainbowgirl28]

A very simple way to achieve a open take off mechanically is to point your elbows out at take off. When you see a gymnast on the rings preparing for a huge swing do you see their elbows pointing infront of them and the rings pointing straight forward? Never. Most people who block, point their lead elbow forward at take off which closes off your front shoulder.

Forcing your elbow in on straight pole pop up drills promotes the bad habit of jamming it in when you vault for real. Steddum has some good advice here.

[AKell]

make sure you don't lock the elbow! envision a vault where your arms don't bend the pole, your body mass coming through it bends it naturally. don't focus on pushing, just get up and into the pole, then work it. i had to just focus on not jamming it for a week b/f i achieved the slight arm bend that fit my pole. i think one of the things that held me up was realizing that just pecause i didn't really shove on the pole at the beginning of the vault didn't mean i couldn't still have power and charge the pole.